UHCL alumnus still banking on a bright future

June 14, 2016 | Kelsie Cleboski

For three years, Chris Bezdek was something of a University of Houston-Clear Lake celebrity. Bezdek’s portrait was one of the featured images in the UHCL “Discovering Opportunities” campaign of the early 2000s. The campaign, which sought to raise scholarship funds, was featured prominently in a number of UHCL publications from 2000-2003.

The photo continues to pop up, and with it come autograph seekers, good-natured ribbing and a reminder of his days at UHCL.

“The photo followed me around - it was a cool thing. I think my mom still has that poster in her study at home,” he said with a laugh.

“Discovering Opportunities” highlighted UHCL scholarship recipients and their goals for the future. In the photo, a bright-eyed Bezdek holds fanned cash, mostly $1 bills scrounged from the pockets of people at the photo shoot, to represent his career goal of becoming a banker.

Bezdek, the son of two teachers, said his M.L. Wismer Scholarship made a big difference in his UHCL career.

“The money went a long way to pay a good portion of my tuition at UHCL,” he said.

Bezdek graduated with his Bachelor of Science in finance in 2001 and followed up with an MBA in 2005.

Now an executive vice president and regional CEO of the Southeast Houston market for Community Bank of Texas, Bezdek has not only fulfilled his goal from that photo shoot 16 years ago, he’s become a leader in Houston banking.

After graduating with his bachelor’s degree, Bezdek moved directly into banking as a credit analyst. His MBA at UHCL elevated his career even further.

Bezdek, a self-described people person, said the most surprising aspect of his career has been the importance of personal relationships and sales techniques.

“I had no idea banking is really sales and relationships and people. If you can handle those three things, you’re a surefire candidate for a banking prospect,” he said. “If you enjoy working with people and you are self-motivated and driven, banking is the career for you. It’s a perfect fit.”

Bezdek remembers his university days as busy ones, first with early morning study sessions as an undergraduate and then with late-night sessions as a graduate student.

“I remember very long days, night study sessions and lots of weekends of group projects and having fun with my peers. There were a lot of group projects, and we always had a good time getting the projects done,” he said.

He appreciated the focus and expertise of his classmates, many of who had extensive work experience.

While Bezdek enjoyed classes about finance, he has come to see the value in coursework he was initially less interested in, such as a class on teamwork and leadership skills.

“I have used some of those same skills in my career more than once, such as conflict resolution and reaching a consensus when working with a large group of people. I was able to draw knowledge about the topic and actually apply it to the real world,” he said. “That was probably the most useful class I’ve ever taken because my job is essentially working with people, which I love.”

Bezdek said the diversity of peers he worked with in classes and on projects also has made him a better manager, able to tailor his leadership and communication styles to everyone from millennials to baby boomers.

Those same skills have also helped him reach out to new customers.

“When it comes down to it, what differentiates our people is the relationship and the partnership that you make helping them grow their business. You can get the same product at any given bank, what differentiates the banks is the service,” he said.

Along with building his career, Bezdek has kept busy spending time with his family, including two active sons ages 7 and 10. When he can find the time, he also enjoys running.

In his career, Bezdek would like to continue growing in his role as a leader.

“I enjoy working with people. That’s my passion. Whatever I can do to expand that is where I want to be,” he said.

He noted he’s also pleased to see how the university has grown through the years.

“It’s exciting to see the school grow. It looks like great things are ahead,” he said.

For more information on opportunities for alumni, call the Office of University Advancement, 281-283-2021 or email universityadvancement@uhcl.edu.